Joshua Kimmich

Tasked with filling the mighty large boots of Philipp Lahm, Joshua Kimmich has shown not only the ability to succeed in following in the World Cup-winning captain's footsteps, but perhaps even surpassing him. In addition to his defensive qualities and positional awareness, Kimmich has a ruthless streak which has led to him scoring regularly, and becoming an extra weapon in Bayern's armoury.

Lukasz Piszczek

An example on and off the field. His experience has been significant in solidifying the Dortmund back-line and helping younger players find their feet, while 'Piszczu' is nothing short of a club hero for his dedication to the club.

Watch:Owo Meets Lukasz Piszczek

Rafinha

The Brazilian with a German passport is "an important player on the field, but also a very popular person in the dressing room," according to Bayern's CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, when he offered him a new contract in December. His off-field entertainment sketches have earned him cult status, but he has proven he can still do a turn on the pitch too, boasting a venomous shot to go with his no-holds-barred tackling.

Jeremy Toljan

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship winner forged his reputation at Hoffenheim, switching to Dortmund, where he has shown his ability to play at right or left full-back with equal aplomb, and more is likely to come from a player who delivered three assists from his surging runs forward for Germany's under-21s last summer, and has set one up in just a handful of starts for BVB so far.